For crying out loud, can MLB please implement an electronic strike zone already?

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think that if MLB were to open the checkbook they could get it worked out pretty quickly.  I doubt the indy league developers had a lot of resources.

I’m pretty sure MLB paid for the experiment.      The whole idea is to work out the kinks before it ever gets to MLB, first by testing in the independent leagues and the AFL (where it was used in some games last fall), then in the affiliated minor leagues.    It’s unrealistic to expect things to go perfectly in the first trial run.    

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

I’m pretty sure MLB paid for the experiment.      The whole idea is to work out the kinks before it ever gets to MLB, first by testing in the independent leagues and the AFL (where it was used in some games last fall), then in the affiliated minor leagues.    It’s unrealistic to expect things to go perfectly in the first trial run.    

I'm sure they did.

But I'm also sure they could have allocated a lot more resources to it if they had wanted to.

I bet they could have a system in place by opening day that would be very functional if they felt a need to move that rapidly.

[esmd]

Can't happen soon enough, IMO.

[Camden_yardbird]

17 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think that if MLB were to open the checkbook they could get it worked out pretty quickly.  I doubt the indy league developers had a lot of resources.

Actually...it was MLB funded.  MLB basically paid the league to be their beta test on a bunch of rules changes.

[Camden_yardbird]

17 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm sure they did.

But I'm also sure they could have allocated a lot more resources to it if they had wanted to.

I bet they could have a system in place by opening day that would be very functional if they felt a need to move that rapidly.

I am guessing you are not familiar with IT rollouts.  Even huge private companies are terrible at it.  Nevermind getting a system working with 100% accuracy in 32 different ballparks.  No amount of money is going to get that done.

[Frobby]

20 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm sure they did.

But I'm also sure they could have allocated a lot more resources to it if they had wanted to.

I bet they could have a system in place by opening day that would be very functional if they felt a need to move that rapidly.

It makes a lot more sense to me to handle it just the way they are, for both technical and political reasons (i.e., getting buy-in from the players and umpires and building fan support).

[Can_of_corn]

3 hours ago, Camden_yardbird said:

I am guessing you are not familiar with IT rollouts.  Even huge private companies are terrible at it.  Nevermind getting a system working with 100% accuracy in 32 different ballparks.  No amount of money is going to get that done.

I am.

I don't think the hurdles are that high in this case.

Notice I said functional not flawless.

[Can_of_corn]

47 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It makes a lot more sense to me to handle it just the way they are, for both technical and political reasons (i.e., getting buy-in from the players and umpires and building fan support).

I agree.

I can wait a few more years, not like the O's are going to get screwed out of a playoff game anytime soon.

[Sammy Seagull]

leave the game alone

[Oriole1940]

I have been for this for YEARS.

[SteveA]

And the next step is being taken:   there will be some robot umps used in spring training this year to call balls and strikes.

Reading the article, it's not clear to me whether it will just be in some selected games or all the games.   I would think that the umps need spring training too, so they can get some practice calling balls and strikes after the offseason, so I'd be surprised if it was in all spring training games.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28537918/mlb-plans-robot-umps-call-balls-strikes-spring-training-games

[SteveA]

23 hours ago, SteveA said:

And the next step is being taken:   there will be some robot umps used in spring training this year to call balls and strikes.

Reading the article, it's not clear to me whether it will just be in some selected games or all the games.   I would think that the umps need spring training too, so they can get some practice calling balls and strikes after the offseason, so I'd be surprised if it was in all spring training games.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28537918/mlb-plans-robot-umps-call-balls-strikes-spring-training-games

And now the umps union "clarifies" which almost totally walks back what MLB said yesterday.   There will be an automated strike zone used in a small # of spring games but it will not actually call the balls and strikes, the plate ump still will.   It's just part of getting the system working:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28537918/mlb-umpires-union-clarifies-use-electronics-spring-training-sites

[DrungoHazewood]

On 12/25/2019 at 7:51 AM, Sammy Seagull said:

leave the game alone

Exactly.  Let's indefinitely continue the practice of allowing umps to call whatever they want a strike even though the rulebook clearly defines balls and strikes.

The game was perfect in (insert year you were 12) and should always be exactly like that forever for each individual fan.

[DrungoHazewood]

51 minutes ago, SteveA said:

And now the umps union "clarifies" which almost totally walks back what MLB said yesterday.   There will be an automated strike zone used in a small # of spring games but it will not actually call the balls and strikes, the plate ump still will.   It's just part of getting the system working:

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28537918/mlb-umpires-union-clarifies-use-electronics-spring-training-sites

Running a data-gathering event in a small subset of spring games as an alpha test of something that might be rolled out in a few years (or decades or whatever) is hyper-proactive for MLB, so that's a positive thing.

[UpstateNYfan]

Let's replay the called third strike against Roberto Alomar in Toronto in a game that had playoff implications.